Twisted Time
by angelique-anja
Summary: It's 1877 and Jack Harkness tries to hep a young woman find her way home. He'll lie to his boss and use to Torchwood to get her home. In 2008 Jack needs to finish what he started, but how can he save her, when he doesn't even remember her?
1. I Don't Remember Her

This idea came to me one day while writing one of my other stories. Rachel is a companion from my Doctor Who fic (not actually finished) but I really wanted to do this while I was thinking about it. It's not necessary to read the other story, but it is based in Rachel's life, ten years after her adventures with the Doctor. I hope you enjoy!

Ok, since starting this I've since figured that in canon Torchwood wasn't created until 1879, but I only just discovered that and too much of the story would need to be changed to cover that (I've been atthis for a while), so, please forgive my mistake. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

**I Don't Remember Her **

**4th January 2008**

Ianto frowned at his computer screen. He hit the escape key, nothing happened. He glared, he couldn't remove the message that was blinking annoyingly in front of him.

- Archive Search in Progress -

He hadn't set a search for anything. He'd had no reason to. He had to finish a report for Jack, not sit here waiting for god only knew what. He pushed his seat back and stood up. He looked around for another computer to use. Gwen was busy at her own desk. That only left... Toshiko's or Owen's. He sighed as he made his way over to Toshiko's old station.

"Ianto?" Gwen asked.

He paused and looked at her, "Yes?"

"Are you doing something with the archives?"

Ianto's frown grew as he made his way over to Gwen. Her screen displayed the same message as his. He glanced around. Owen's computer was off, but Tosh's old station had to be on, the rift monitor was vital to their operation. The main screen on the desk displayed the same archive messaged.

"What on earth is going on?" He asked.

"No clue," Gwen said s she tried to avoid the message on her own computer. Finally, the search stopped. Another message came up on the screen.

- File Location - 1877 - Torchwood Personnel - 254 -

Ianto looked at Gwen, she looked just as confused as she was, "Maybe Jack's looking something up?" She asked.

"On all our computers?" He asked, "It seems unlikely."

Gwen shrugged, "Let's go have a look!"

Ianto smirked, "I like the way you think Mrs. Williams."

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

"Here are the '77 personnel files," Ianto said, bringing over a box. He settled it on a table in the archive room. Gwen lifted the lid and they peered inside. Several manilla folders with the Torchwood insignia stared up at them.

"We're looking for file 254," Gwen reminded Ianto as he flipped through the files.

"Here," He said, folding up a file. He flipped it open and gasped before looking up at Gwen, "My god.."

"What?" Gwen asked, peering over. The black and white photo attached to the file, was of a young woman, about twenty-five years of age. She had probably blond or light brown coloured hair. But the face attracted them both.

Only a few weeks earlier, The Doctor had come, followed by a young companion, about ten years younger then the girl in the photo, but Ianto was almost certain it was the same girl.

"That's Rachel..." Gwen said, she lifted the photo and glanced at the written information, "Look at this, Rachel Moran, 25, survivor of Torchwood four..."

"Impossible," Ianto muttered, "Torchwood Four went missing... Over a hundred years ago."

"Descendent of Torchwood four member, Edward Moran," Gwen kept reading.

"Why are we looking at this file today?" Ianto asked, "It makes no sense."

"She was apparently with them for only six months... Till, she was was poisoned by another member of the team."

Ianto looked up, "Well, that is scandalous."

"She was put in cryogenic stasis, to be awoken when a cure was found... No, sorry, to be awoken... Today..."

"You don't stick a girl from 1877 in stasis and awake her in a modern world!" Ianto exclaimed.

"The add on about the wake up date... It's in a different handwriting to the report..." Gwen handed him the file.

Ianto looked at the handwriting, "That's Jack's..."

"So I wasn't imagining that!"

"What's mine?"

They both looked up to find Jack standing in the doorway to the archive room, "This added note to a personnel file," Ianto explained.

Jack walked over to them, "Who's file? If it was Gareth's I probably added Murdering Bastard."

"A girl named Rachel Moran," Gwen replied.

Jack paused. Ianto handed him the photo from the girl's file. His finger traced the outlines of the girl's face, "I don't remember her..."

"Surely..."

"They said I'd been retconned..." He explained as he leaned against the table, not looking at them, "I woke up in the med bay, no idea where I was. They explained to me that Rachel had been poisoned... I had no idea who Rachel even was... Still don't really know... She lived with me, was my best friend they said, some even insinuated that she was a lover... I had supposedly been with her six months! But I couldn't remember her!"

"Jack, you added the note that she was to be awoken today," Gwen said.

He nodded, "I was going through her stuff... Found a note asking me to put that in her file when the heat died down... I didn't see the harm in it..."

"It says in her file, she was from Torchwood four," Ianto said.

Jack laughed, "No she wasn't!" He paused, looked at them strangely as if he was remembering something, "It was a con... So they wouldn't take her prisoner like me..."


	2. Getting In 2

Here's part two. It's set in the secod week of Rachel's stay in 1877. The memories of what happened there will come up as Jack remembers them or as Rachel talks about the events that occured. Jack's first memory, brought about by his conversation with Gwen and Ianto is about getting Rachel inside Torchwood. Enjoy. Anja.x

**Getting In - Week 2  
9th March 1877**

Jack ran into the house. "I've got it!"

"Got what?" Rachel asked, looking up from a pile of papers on the kitchen table.

Jack glanced over her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"I was bored. I am not used to sitting around in cramp quarters not doing anything. It's my case files from work."

"I know it's small, but I'm hardly ever here," he frowned as he looked at what she was writing. "And exactly what does all that fancy maths have to do with the FBI?"

She laughed. Jack smiled, it was one of the few times he'd heard her laugh since he'd met her. "It's an analysis of our perp's movement. Where he's picking up the kids... Where he's dumping their bodies... I'm trying to figure out where he lives."

Jack sat down. "You can do that?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"No wonder he liked you. You're smart."

She shrugged. "I suppose. You said you had something?"

"Ah, yes," Jack announced proudly. "Are you familiar with Torchwood four?"

She frowned for a moment. "Only that they went missing a long time ago. Well, a long time for me. And that nobody knows where they are."

He held a file up to her. "They've been missing so long, we could claim, that you're a descendent of one of the original agents."

Rachel frowned, unconvinced, at him. "And they're likely to believe that?"

"If we play it right. You're with the FBI, right? Ever done under cover training?"

She nodded. "Yes, I have. I guess I got through most of life after The Doctor by lying."

"If we can create a cover story, likely enough, relating to an actual team member, we might just pull it off," Jack explained.

She nodded. "I guess. Show me what we've got to work with."

Jack opened the file as Rachel cleaned her own work into a neat pile. He spread the papers over the table. "I think first, is to look at the personnel, choose who we're going to work with."

Rachel nodded. "Seems like a good idea," she flipped through the names. The secret to a good identity, was to keep it as true to yourself, without being you. Throughout her life, Rachel had assumed a few identities, it was something she did surprisingly well.

"My mother's maiden name was Moran," she said, pointing to one of the names.

"Ok, let's work with him then," Jack said, picking up the file.

"Jackson Moran. thirty-two, originally stationed in London before being stationed with Torchwood four," he looked up at her. "Do you know anything about Torchwood One?"

"Only what you, the Doctor and Rose told me."

"I haven't said anything..."

She sighed. "Sorry. You will. Later..." Rachel shrugged. "Anyway, we shouldn't need it. If we put Four in a bad enough place that survival was the only thing the team needed to know, history becomes obsolete."

"Not bad. Not bad at all..." Jack said, nodding.

She smiled. "I remember this one planet The Doctor took me to, quite by accident, we got knocked off course by an asteroid... Anyway, it was called Alpha Canis One. All they did was rage war..."

"If Torchwood four wound up there, they would have needed to fight for survival," Jack continued.

"Exactly. I think I can fake my way through having lived on Canis Major for longer then a week."

"Well, we're going to be implying that you grew up there," Jack reminded her.

They worked through the night, perfecting Rachel's cover story for Torchwood. The first rays of sunlight came through the windows of Jack's tiny house as they were finishing up.

"Ok..." Jack said. "One last thing, what are you going to wear?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you've got to look like you came from a war zone."

Rachel frowned. "I'll be honest. I stole the clothes I'm wearing. Alice has already seen me. I'll say I used you to be sure that you were Torchwood and still loyal to the crown. We'll meet out in the square later. I'll demand you take me to them, if we create a big enough fuss, they'll come out and deal with it themselves."

Jack frowned. "I'm not quite sure you want that..." he warned. "They're not exactly the nicest people..."

She smiled reassuringly at him. "If there's one thing I can do. It's take care of myself."

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Jack made his way across the square, keeping his eyes open for Rachel, without appearing to be expecting something. He was almost at the entrance to the hub when he heard her.

"Harkness!" he couldn't help the small grin that came to his face. They'd decided that she'd be a little rough due to her supposed war time life. He'd been quite surprised when she'd pulled it off perfectly.

He turned, trying his best to appear a little scared at her approach. "Yes?"

"You are going to take me to your boss. Now!" she ordered.

He shook his head slightly and chuckled. "And what boss would that be. I answer to no one!"

"Liar! I want to speak to Torchwood and you're my way in!"

Jack held his hands up to surrender. They'd decided not to discuss the upcoming conversation, so that it didn't appear scripted. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She walked up to him, invading his personal space. He could get to like her. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Harkness."

"Come now, it's just Jack for you beautiful," he said with a grin.

Rachel couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Right! I forgot, you think you're god's gift to women! I couldn't care less. Take me to your boss! Or I will follow you everywhere you go!"

Jack growled. "You couldn't!"

"Oh, yeah! Wanna bet? I've been following you for over a week! I know where you go! I'll just go myself!" with that, she started towards the main and very secret entrance that Jack had told her about the night before.

Jack glanced around. Just as expected, Alice and Emily emerged from the hub. They grabbed Rachel and dragged her in.

"You're in, Rachel..." he sighed. "But is it what you really want?"

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

By the time Jack found them, the two Torchwood operatives had Rachel tied to the same chair as they'd tied him to over ten years prior.

"Who are you?" Alice was asking.

Rachel rolled her eyes. She spotted Jack and he noticed her relax. "As I've already told you, three times. My name is Rachel Moran."

"You know where we are. How?"

"I was told by my father where to look. I followed hot stuff over there around for a few days to be sure."

Alice shook her head before stepping forward to slap her. Rachel braced herself, but the hit never came. "And what would your father know?"

"Remove the hand and I'll tell you," Alice lowered her hand, but didn't step back. "I would've thought you treated Torchwood officers better then this. My father is Jackson Moran, head of Torchwood four."

Emily laughed. "Torchwood four has been missing since 1732."

"Your point?" Rachel asked. "I finally get back to earth and this is how I get treated! You don't scare me. I grew up in a war zone. We lived for survival."

Jack watched her carefully. She wasn't flinching in her story, but at the same time, Alice and Emily weren't believing her.

"Hey! That's the girl from the pass!" Jack said, interrupting them and giving Rachel a reprieve.

The two women turned and looked at him. "Yes... What do you know about her, Jack?" Emily asked.

He shrugged. "Met her about a week ago near here. Had dinner with her a few times," he waggled his eye brows. "I thought she couldn't resist me!"

"Oh, please!" Rachel came from behind them. "You're not that great!" Jack gaped. "Just a means to an end. I'm here now."

Alice laughed heartily. "I think I could get to like you."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean we can now talk like civilized people? Cause the last person that had me tied up like this didn't live very long," she said it with such seriousness that Jack couldn't tell if she was lying or not.

Alice and Emily glanced at each other. "We need some sort of proof of who you are," Alice insisted.

Rachel sighed and shook her head, "What do you want from me? I grew up a soldier in a private force. I can tell you anything you want about Canisians, not that you should have any problem with them, they're too busy killing each other, but that's about the best I can do you for."

Alice untied Rachel, who in turn rubbed her wrists, glad to be rid of the rope that had left feint red marks on her pale skin. "Thank you," Rachel replied.

"How did you get here?" Emily asked as they led Rachel out of the vault.

"The rift that you protect, there are similar ones on other planets. During their time on Canis Major, the original Torchwood four team sought out the location of the rift. They set our base of operations under it, much like your base," She explained. Since she'd come through the rift and Jack recalled the rift spike that had occurred around the same time she said she'd come into Cardiff, they'd decided to stick with a similar story, just changing the alternate reality to a different planet. "While fending off the opposing forces, since we weren't aligned to anyone, we were subject to attack from both sides of the war, our senior members looked into methods to get home."

"Your senior members being the original team?" Alice asked.

Rachel nodded. She was actually surprised at how well the lie slipped off her tongue to these two heartless women, but it was. "The younger members are their children, like me, and other humans we found that agreed to join our cause," she glanced back a Jack who was smiling at her, she nodded and winked at him. She was in.


	3. Hope

**Hope**

**4th January 2008  
**

Jack looked at Gwen and Ianto. "I can't believe I forgot that..."

"Jack, that still doesn't explain who she is... or for that matter why you lied about Torchwood Four to get her in," Ianto said.

"Wait, you said she was with the FBI?" Gwen asked.

Jack nodded. "Yeah... She did maths that analysed crime. It's a rare thing in the Bureau... Her ability at maths and science... It was another thing we hid from Torchwood," he looked back down at the file. "Still doesn't tell me who she was or what happened to her..."

Ianto looked at Gwen then Jack. "Should we... Wake her?"

Jack looked up at him. "Only if we've got the cure to what she was poisoned with. I... I don't even know what it was..."

Ianto flipped through the files. "There should be a blood sample somewhere. If it kept."

Jack nodded. "Go and ask Ow-" he stopped mid-word, "Go and look," he said to Gwen. She nodded and left the archive room.

"You Ok?" Ianto asked him as he heaved a deep sigh.

"I don't know Ianto... I seem to be saying that a lot don't I?" he picked the photo up again an stared at the face of the young woman. "I just... I don't see what purpose Gareth had to retcon me... If what Alice and Emily said was true, his trying to kill her would have hurt more then anything... I don't see his motive in retconning me..."

Ianto scratched his ear as he thought. "Well... Maybe he didn't. Maybe they did," Jack looked at him like he was about to say something, but Ianto interrupted before he could. "Look. I don't know... I think the best option is to ask her, but to do that we've got to wake her up."

Jack shook his head. "I won't wake her up until we know what she was poisoned with. I won't risk her life!"

Ianto raised an eyebrow at Jack. "For someone you don't remember, you're awfully protective of her," he commented.

"I can't explain it Ianto..." Jack replied, looking down to the ground, as if the floor was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. He sighed. "There should be a box of her things around here somewhere... She had stuff from the 21st century that we hid from Alice and Emily, I found it when I was going through her things."

Ianto nodded. "There is a box somewhere here that I've been meaning to ask you about..." He wondered off down one of the makeshift corridors of shelves. Jack waited by the table for Ianto to return, his eyes fighting between looking in the direction Ianto had disappeared to and staring at the photo of the mysterious young woman.

Ianto re-emerged from the maze of shelves carrying a box. "Stasis box. Don't usually see them in the archives," he explained to Jack. "Has your mystery girl's name on it."

Jack looked at the box, he remembered packing it. He remembered needing to desperately find a stash of artefacts that had been hidden in his house.

"Why does she mean so much to you Jack? You can't remember her," Ianto asked as he dropped the box beside the personnel files. He smiled slightly when he felt Jack's arms wrap around his waist. He turned in Jack's arms and wrapped his own arms around his lover's neck.

"Hope..."

Ianto pulled back slightly, so he could look at Jack's face. "I don't understand," He said.

Jack sighed. "I was in a downward spiral Ianto... I'd been with Torchwood nearly ten years. Being controlled by Alice and Emily. Their puppet so to speak, with no one to talk to, no real friends. I wanted to die. But, Yan... When I woke up, when I was over the grief of losing her and don't ask me why I grieved for a girl I couldn't remember. I don't know why, but I did... I had hope, hope that one day I would be free of them, that I'd see the Doctor, that I'd have true friends around me... I just had hope... And the only thing that had changed, was her... Despite my lack of memories..."

Ianto was touched by Jack's sincerity and the pain that he saw in the older man's eyes. "Come on, let's see if we can jog your memory further!"

Jack nodded as he pulled away from Ianto. He punched in his access code to the box and pulled off the lid. The box was only half full with various items, that to Ianto, looked more out of place within the hub, then they would have in the real world.


End file.
